Cophine
by Kirasnotalizard
Summary: (AU) Cosima, a normally smart and witty resident finds herself unable to think about anyone or anything else once she meets the newest resident to the team, Delphine. Rated M for later chapters :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 and 2 updated 8-8-18 😊

I have this theory that some people are drawn to each other because their atoms were near each other when the universe was created and over time the same atoms keep coming together.

Those are my exact feelings for Delphine Cormier.

The last two years have been the most thrilling, fun, scary, beautiful, sappy years of my life, and I owe it all to her.

How, you ask?

How about I start from the beginning?

During medical residency, there wasn't much else to focus on but the patients. Besides taking a quick break to eat. Or sleep. Or shower. It was almost like you lived at the hospital, and every time you went home you were having a short vacation. But, even then, your mind focused on getting back to do rounds as soon as possible. Not like I was complaining; I was doing what I loved. I was helping people in possibly the worst times of their lives. It felt good actually making a difference in the world. It was the most thrilling, productive, most meaningful work I had ever done. Plus, it wasn't like I had anyone else to distract me, right? It was such a thrill. Living in a new town and making my own way. It was a new feeling for me. I was finally beginning my new life as a doctor and as a newly single woman. It was the fresh start I needed. My slate had been wiped clean. Nothing could stop me.

My first few weeks went by quickly. I was getting to know my fellow residents. And it was nice to make friends with people who were as passionate as I was to make a difference. But, as much as I hate to admit it, working in such a competitive environment reminded me of high school. Everyone had their own group they gravitated towards. My particular style of full-on dread locks, tattoos, and dark eye makeup gave everyone the first impression that I would somehow be bad at my job. I did, however, have a knack for being able to diagnose difficult patients within hours. I guess my late-night study sessions and lack of a social life were finally paying off. Within a few days, I had solidified my position as a fellow resident who was just, as they called it, 'quirky'. Apparently, no one had heard of personal style before they met me. Who knew you could wear chunky jewelry, winged eyeliner and still be able to be a successful, professional doctor? It would still make me chuckle every time I was able to prove the nay-sayers wrong.

There were a few people who I clicked with right away, and there were others who I knew I would not like working with. I had a few friends growing up, but no one who wholly shared this passion with me. Scott, a fellow resident, had quickly become my best friend. We clicked right away. He and I both shared a geeky childhood love for doctor who, Pokémon, movies and of course, medicine. We had spent most of our time asking each other for second opinions and making movie quotes no one else ever understood. I loved being able to open up with a co-worker and also make such a wonderful friend so fast. Moving cross-country might have been the best decision I'd made yet.

I knew he was interested in me, and as more than friends. One of the first times we hung out together outside of work, he was so nervous. I knew he was going to ask me out, and when he finally did, sheepishly, through nervous words and embarrassed flushed cheeks, I could tell he hadn't dated much. When I told him I was interested in women only, I could see the letdown look on his face, but he understood, and was still excited to just have a friend who had the same interests in him. It was sad to let him down, but it felt really relieving to have a friend in this new town, someone who knew I was gay. Someone who knew the whole me: the movie buff, the geeky fun-loving side, the democratic, love-is-love side, the helper, the doctor. It wasn't a secret, I was completely open to anyone who asked, why not, it was 2017 after all. But, it was still nice to have a real friend, one who I connected with completely. Making the big move from my hometown of 10,000 people was hard enough. Leaving my parents and sister and her family behind was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But this move and this new career, which I was excelling at, made me quickly remember why I had done it in the first place.

About two months into my residency, during a break, I had noticed someone I had never seen before. Working the hours I had been working, it was almost impossible to see someone I hadn't seen before. I walked into one of the break rooms, noting the usual suspects sitting at the small round table in the center of the room. Most were either reading the paper or flipping through pages in a medical journal. From the corner of my eye, I noted a woman and a man hovering around the coffee maker.

My eyes traveled to them, falling first on one of my least favorite fellow residents. His name was Rory. He was the type of guy who had hit on every single one of the female residents. He had a nice set of muscles and he wasn't bad looking. He had a presence around him that made every single woman hover around him, but I knew him for what he really was. I had met, and dated his type before, before I quickly decided that males weren't entirely my type at all. The woman he was talking with, however, I didn't know.

Suddenly, she looked towards me, towards the opening door. Her eyes landed on mine, and I swear, my heart skipped a beat. My feet felt planted, rooted to the ground. Her amber eyes were nothing I had ever seen before. To say that she was the hottest woman I had laid eyes on in a very long time was an understatement. There was something about her that wasn't just about appearances, right off the bat, though. I had never seen her before, but I had a weird feeling we had met before. She was dressed in the blue scrubs that all of us were, but the way that they fell on her made me gape. Openly. I must have had a shocked, open-mouthed expression on my face. I can't recall if I actually reacted to her presence at all, but I felt like time had stopped for a moment. Her blonde, flowing curls framed her face perfectly, but, her full lips were pursed into a frown. I don't know if I disturbed her conversation with Rory or if she was unhappy with their conversation. Somehow, my feet had taken me to the table in the center of the room without my knowing.

It was quiet in the room, save for the hushed conversation happening around the coffee maker. I walked up to my friend, Scott sitting at the table. He was balls deep in the paper, working feverishly on the daily Sudoku. He acknowledged me, giving a quick nod while still working on the paper with his red pen.

"Scott…" I said, whispering, trying not to look up again at Rory and the blonde. I held onto the table and leaned in as close as I could.

His lips were silently working out his next move. Scott's pen stopped, hovering over the soft paper. "What, Cosima?" He looked up. He noticed my sudden desperation and put the pen down. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth but didn't quite know what to say. "I…." My eyes traveled up to the two.

She was still looking down at me, trying to listen to Rory, but also giving her attention to…me?

That gaze made me forget everything I was trying to ask; my mind went completely blank again. Her eyes seemed look me up and down, but maybe it was just my want for them to.

I was snapped from my stupor by Scott lightly shaking my shoulder. "Earth to Cosima…" he muttered.

My eyes darted to him, making him jump. I could feel my cheeks start to flush.

Shit. How long had I been staring at her?

I looked up at her again before speaking. This time, she wasn't looking at me. She was adding cream to her newly filled coffee mug with the biggest grin on her face. I noted that Rory had moved to the fridge, searching for something, so it couldn't be him that she was grinning at, right? She picked up the mug and put it to her lips, trying to stifle a chuckle. Were her cheeks flushed?

I felt my stomach drop at the sight of her reddened cheeks. Even if the rational part of my brain concluded that they probably weren't because of me.

Once again, Scott grabbed my shoulder. "Cos, are you good?" He said, looking a little worried. His eyes traveled towards my stare.

I switched my gaze to him and gave him a look of apology. I could hear a slight chuckle from somewhere in the room, but I knew if I looked up again and she was the one behind it, I might just lose my shit.

"Sorry, sorry." I muttered. I pat his back, reassuring him that I had in fact heard what he was saying. "Dude, never mind, I'll talk to you later…"

Before I knew it, I was back into the hall, closing the break room door as softly as I could. I turned on my heel, ready to retreat to literally anywhere else. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it in my ears; the pulse of it was running through my fingertips. Rounding the corner, I heard a door behind me open and close abruptly, but it was muffled. Everything was muffled.

Jesus.

Okay, Cos, get a hold of yourself. Be rational. Forget about that girl, get back to work.

But it wasn't that easy.

I need to get some air. Something inside of me had shifted. Something I hadn't felt in a really long time. Since my ex. You know when you first meet someone and you know they're going to change your life? I know how crazy that sounds, I am quite aware. But, I knew that there was just something about her. And I was going to find out what.

I walked towards the nearest exit when a hand tapped my shoulder. "Hey."

I must have jumped at the sudden invasion of my personal inner-banter because I felt the hand quickly recoil.

"Scott, I said I was fi-" my words were cut short as I turned around. Scott wasn't the one who stopped me. My eyes found themselves once again on the beautiful blonde for the fourth time today.


	2. Chapter 2

The first fellow resident I had met completely caught me off guard.

His name was Rory. He was the typical American player, and I had known it since the first time I had laid eyes on him. You know the type of guy I mean. The one that approaches you at the bar when you're out with your friends and will not leave you alone. The one who thinks his you-know-what doesn't stink.

His chiseled pecs and biceps were begging to be freed from his scrub stop. He made it known many times just how important his appearance was to him, even without saying a word. I would catch him looking at every surface he could that would show his reflection. His mischievous grin, while looking me up and down had told me his exact intentions. What was it about these guys? They start taking care of their bodies and they think every woman will just fall head over heels.

"I don't think I have seen you here before?" He extended his hand. "Doctor Rory Hanes."

I shook his hand politely, and I noticed his hand lingered. When I looked up from our handshake, I found his eyes on my breasts, which had made me almost groan out loud. I rolled my eyes, but he was too occupied to notice.

"Oui, I just transferred from Broussais University Hospital in Paris." I replied, happily letting the handshake fizzle. "Doctor Delphine Cormier."

His eyes shot up with curiosity. "Wow. Smart, beautiful AND that ACCENT…" He chuckled to himself. "How did we get so lucky?"

Seriously? Is nothing sacred anymore? What happened to professionalism?

I tried to keep my expression blank, but I was sure that a scowl had formed anyway. I cleared my throat and looked down at my feet.

At this point, I'm sure he was used to getting playful flirting in return. And as much as the attention he was giving me probably WOULD have made other girls swoon, it only made me want to slap him across the face. Even if I were someone who liked to mix business and pleasure, it would definitely not be with this man.

"Yes, well…" I sighed and looked around the room, searching for anyone else listening to our exchange. No one had even looked up from their work, and I couldn't tell if was because they had all seen him act this way or if they truly didn't care. "I needed a change of scenery."

He brought his hand up to my shoulder, and gave it a firm squeeze, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure we will be seeing much more of each other." His hand started to fall slowly down my back, but just as I had opened my mouth to protest, his hand fell back to his side. "Welcome to the team."

I bit my lip and gave myself a second to reply. I wanted to tread lightly here. An outburst in the breakroom on my first day was not the impression I wanted to make with my new coworkers. "Oui, thank you." I shuffled my feet towards the coffee maker in the back of the room, trying to get as much space between he and I as I could. I reached for the pot but noticed that it was empty.

"Merde." I muttered under by breath. It was my first day and I had overslept, torn a hole in my tights, gotten lost a time or two and had just been blatantly hit on by someone I would no doubt see more than I would like to.

He followed me to the back and hovered behind me. He reached over me to start replenishing the pot and it was very obvious that he was standing close enough for his arm to nudge against mine. He leaned his body closer, only inches between our faces. "I'll get that" he whispered, and finally began to refill the coffee.

I took a step away and pretended to read the bottle of creamer on the counter.

If I had not needed the caffeine as desperately as I did, I would have left long ago.

The door to the break room opened and my eyes instinctively looked over at the door, catching a glimpse of the petite woman who walked through. Without her blue scrubs and white coat, I would not have guessed she was a doctor. Her long, dread-locked hair was pulled back into a tight pony at the back of her head, a few short locks in the front falling to her shoulders. She had thick black-rimmed glasses that complimented her black winged eyeliner and small nose ring. She definitely had her own style, and I liked it. It seemed like she wasn't afraid to show everyone her style, and the confidence showed. Her eyes switched their gaze from Rory to me, and even through her glasses I could see her eyes change from one of indifference to wonder. I could feel her eyes search mine, and it made the hair on my arms stand on end.

Woah.

I kept my eyes on her for a few more seconds, trying to gauge her reaction. Did she realize I was stuck in this terrible conversation? Did she also feel like the room was spinning? I knew I had never met her before, I would have definitely remembered it. But, for some reason, she felt familiar.

I could hear Rory talking to me, but I was definitely not paying attention. I don't like to be rude, but I found myself wanting to rather be talking to this woman instead. Something about her caught my eye. And not just because of the way she dressed. Something in her eyes.

She walked to the table and spoke to one of the men sitting there. She broke her gaze, her cheeks a little flushed. I'm sure she had more important things to attend to, more important people to talk to, so I looked back at Rory.

He was staring at me again, holding out a coffee cup. I returned a quick smile and took the mug from his hands, careful to not graze his fingers.

"I prefer whole milk in my coffee, flavored creamers have so many unnatural chemicals in them." He was still talking. Did this man ever shut up? Didn't he get the hint that I wasn't exactly invested in him or this conversation.

"Oh?" I replied but didn't want any part of the conversation. I directed my gaze back to the eccentric woman. I had heard her friend call her Cosima.

Cosima. What a beautiful name. Different, just like she was.

She was leaned over the table close to her friend. The white coat and scrubs she wore didn't hide the fact that her figure underneath it was fit. She was very beautiful. I studied her face for a beat. She had a strong jawline, and I let my eyes wander down from her jaw to her neck. Her skin looked really soft. From there, my eyes searched every part of her that wasn't obstructed by the table. From here I could see the seashell tattoo on her right wrist, and the silver chain hanging from her neck. The necklace was long, falling into her scrub top. I looked down further, wanting to see the pendant attached. Suddenly, I remembered where I was and who I was looking at. My eyes shifted towards her eyes again, only to find that those eyes were staring back at me once more.

Was I just checking her out? I've never checked a woman out like that before.

Her mouth was open, her eyes fixed on mine.

Was she openly gaping at me? It certainly felt like it.

Did she see me eye her? Was I, in fact, eyeing her?

I could feel my skin flush at our eye-contact, and it made my breath catch in my throat.

As soon as she looked away, back at her friend trying to get her attention, I exhaled again.

This is stupid. Why are you acting like this?

I could feel that my face was visibly reddened. My hand swiftly went up, touching my warm cheeks. I looked around the room, searching for anyone seeing my body's open betrayal of my inner thoughts.

I focused all my attention to the fresh coffee Rory had just finished pouring into my cup.

"Milk?" He had said, while making his way to the fridge next to the counter, in search of it.

"Non." I replied and grabbed the flavored creamer on the counter next to me. "I quite like flavored creamer. Chemicals and all…" I began to chuckle to myself, more out of nervousness from the past encounter than at my own stupid reply. To hide the idiotic grin on my face, I brought the mug up to my mouth, and sipped the warm, comforting coffee.

Rory came back to the counter from the fridge with his jug of whole milk.

I eyed the amount he poured greedily into his cup. "Whole milk, hm? Better pencil in an extra half hour at the gym tonight…" I watched his face as it turned into a scowl as he set the jug down.

I couldn't help myself this time. A soft chuckle left my lips even my fingers couldn't contain. Once again, I wasn't sure my statement was even very funny, but the nervous bubbles in my chest needed to be freed. I felt like a giddy school girl.

Rory walked away, coffee cup in hand to the other side of the room and sat at one of the computer desks.

Good. Well, that's one way to shut you up.

When I looked back to the table in the middle of the room, I noticed that Cosima had left. My body instinctively began moving to the door. For some reason, I felt compelled to speak to her. I knew nothing about her except her first name. And truly, I didn't have any friends yet in this new town, and here was my chance to make one.

Is that what this is about?

I opened the door and rounded the nearest corner. I caught a glimpse of her dreadlocks turning the next corner. As soon as I caught up with her though, I felt nervous. My heart was beating a mile a minute and my hands were starting to sweat.

What is this?

With reluctance, I decided to just tap her on the shoulder. I had already gotten this far, it would be a waste to turn back now. "Hey." I said, trying to keep my voice level. She jumped at my touch, which made me jump and pull back almost immediately.

"Scott, I said I was fi-" She said, while turning towards me. But once her eyes met mine, her words stopped dead in their tracks.


	3. Chapter 3

The first seconds were filled with fierce eye-contact. From both of us.

Did she follow me? Why?

"Pardon, Ai-je-" She said, then stopped herself by taking a large breath. I watched her close her eyes and collect her thoughts. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

The thick French accent she spoke with caught me off guard. Her correction into English was adorable, and I couldn't help but notice that her words sounded a little shaky. Was she nervous?

I blinked a few times, trying to will myself to speak. I opened my mouth, ready to reply, but I couldn't think of anything to say. Her accented words floated around my otherwise empty brain. All I could get out was a throaty squeak in reply.

She broke eye-contact first, looking down to the floor with a smirk on her face. From here I could see the light freckles dotting her face. When she looked back up at me, I could see the golden flecks in her hazel eyes even more pronounced than before.

"Doctor Niehaus, right?" She said and pointed to the name embroidered on my coat. "Pediatrics is my specialty as well."

Of course, I knew that my name was there. But in reaction, I looked down at my own coat and read over the cursive letters myself. The act of literally having to check made me laugh out loud. When I looked backs up, I could see relief flood her face. In reaction, she laughed back.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Sorry." I finally got out "It's…it's been a day…already…" And a day it had been. When I walked into the break room, I was trying to ask Scott for a consult on my newest Peds patient. I had gone over the case a hundred times this morning. I still couldn't give myself or his mother an answer for his newest flare-up. On top of that, in my down time last night I had decided to check my neglected Facebook. I found out that my ex and ex-best-friend were now officially dating. My hands instinctively went to my forehead and down my face and neck, finding their home on my hips.

Congratulations, Cosima. You finally made a complete sentence.

"Um, please, call me Cosima." I glanced at her lab coat as well, my eyes traveling over the black embroidered letters. The folded lapel covered most of her first name, but I could make out Cormier, MD and below it, Pediatrics.

Dr. Cormier held out her hand to shake mine. Her hand was warm, familiar even. My skin was buzzing from the moment of contact and so was my mind. There was just…something about her. I couldn't really put my finger on exactly what that thing was, but I was damn sure going to find out.

"Delphine." She replied shortly, looking back at our hands. My eyes traveled there was well. I glanced at her outstretched arm, noticing goose bumps forming along the soft skin. "Enchantee."

"Enchantee" I replied, hoping I hadn't butchered the French word.

"Pleasure to meet you." She whispered. The sound of her voice had me trapped there, my feet unwilling to leave their place even if I had wanted to.

"Uh, yea…you too." My brain felt like it was on sleep mode. The screensaver started to play out, and I was waiting for someone to shake the mouse so I could resume again. But no one was there. They'd probably abandoned their post and I was standing there, helpless.

Delphine's mouth turned up into a slight smirk before speaking.

"I um…I'm going to need that hand back…" She chucked and looked down at our joined hands.

I looked down as well, and I was indeed, still clutching hers. I let go and kept my eyes down towards the floor, momentarily embarrassed that I had spaced out. To keep the conversation going and to wipe my mind of that botched interaction, I quickly blurted out a question at her.

"You-you're new here?" I asked.

"Oui-Yes." Her open-mouthed smile reached across her face and it shone so bright it took over the whole hallway. I couldn't help but smile back at her.

I was about to speak when my pager went off.

Shit.

I flashed her an apologetic smile and I took the pager out of my pocket. I read the number across the screen.

Double shit.

I closed my eyes and hoped that his condition hadn't worsened. "I'm really sorry, it's a patient of mine." I looked up at her, noting the change in her emotions as well. Her face fell, but only for a split second. Had I not looked up when I did I would have missed it. "I have to go."

"Of course."

I turned to walk away but stopped in my tracks instead. I looked back at her still standing there. "So, since we're both in Peds…" I turned back around to face her. "I'll have to give you the Cosima Welcome speech and the grand tour." I flashed her a toothy grin as my arms opened, gesturing to the hall. "Just so you know."

She cocked her head to the side, a puzzled expression plastered on her face.

My smile grew wider and I couldn't help but stifle the laugh brewing in my belly. "You know, unless you'd rather Rory give you the tour…"

Her eyes widened and both of her arms shot out in front of her. "Non, sil vous plait." She huffed. I couldn't help but think how cute she looked while asking me not to put her in that predicament.

I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling any further. Honestly, my cheeks were starting to hurt. I was not used to smiling this much. "Don't worry, I wouldn't subject you to spending time alone with him." I knew that I didn't really know her, but something told me just by her response that she probably didn't like him either. "Anyways," I stepped one foot back and then the other. I still had somewhere else I needed to be. "He's in Plastics, not Peds." I cocked my head to the side and grimaced at her, sticking my tongue out a little through my teeth.

She shook her head and smiled behind her free hand. "You, you know." The hand left her mouth and pointed a finger at me. "You're very, what is the word?" She looked away, searching her brain for the right word. "Cheeky, you're very cheeky."

Further proving my busy schedule, my phone chimed twice. I recognized Scott's tone right away. He probably wanted to know why I was being such a space cadet earlier.

I opened my mouth to reply but she was quick to react to the page.

"Please, go." She said sternly, but her eyes still twinkled playfully.

"Right, yes." I spun again, making my way towards my destination. "Patients come first!" I exclaimed and pushed a pointed finger in the air. From behind me I could hear her chuckle.

"And Cosima?" She called after me.

My heart jumped to my throat at my name falling from her mouth. I slowed my pace but didn't stop moving. I looked back at her and saw her grinning into her cup of coffee.

She looked back up at me and eyed me curiously. "That tour?" She bit her lip, and I swear, for a second I blacked out. "I would like that very much."


End file.
